Banjo



(No Model.)

H. O. MIDDLEBROOKE.

BANJO.

No. 463,952. Patented Nov. 24, 18 91.

n4: mums vnzns co., PHOTO-LIYMO., WASHmsmn, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOBART C. MIDDLEBROOKE, OF ROCK RAPIDS, IOIVA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,952, dated November 24, 1891.

Application filed February 26,1891. Serial No. 382,872, (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOBART O. MIDDLE- BROOKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Rapids, in the county of Lyon and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Organ-Reed Attachments for Banjos; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention appertains to musical instruments of that class to which banjos belong, and aims to improve and increase the quality of the tone and relieve it of that sharpness which is common to this class of instruments.

The invention consists in combining with such instruments at set of organ-reeds, the latter being conveniently located, preferably, in the hoop and the neck of the instrument.

The improvement further consists in such other features as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and which are shown in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view, the finger-board being removed, of a banjo embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the neck of the banjo on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the hoop on a larger scale on the line Y Y of Fig. 1.

The organ-re eds B are provided in sufficient numbers and are properly tuned and graduated to accord with the notes of the strings on the instrument, and are located at any convenient point, preferably within the hoop and the neck, which protect them from injury and conceal them from View. The neck A is grooved to receive the reeds, the location of the groove being immaterial, however. For economy and simplicity of construction the groove to is formed in the upper side of the neck and is concealed by the finger-board O. The reeds 13, provided for the hoop, are located in a channel (1, formed in the hoop, said channel cl being best constructed between the opposing sides of the rings D and E, which compose the hoop. The bracket F, which re ceives the tension-hook, supports the reeds and forms the means for connecting the rings. The outer ring D is held between the head of the bracket and the nut G, and the inner ring E is held between the washer h and the nut H, the reed being held between the nut G and the washer h. The reeds vibrate in unison with the strings and are sympathetic in their action, the proper reed sounding when the corresponding note is struck on the strings, thereby modifying and softening the tone of the instrument.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is-

1. The combination, with a banjo or similar musical instrument, of a set of organ-reeds to modify the quality of tone of the instrument by sympathetic action, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a banjo or similar musical instrument having a groove in its neck, of a set of organ-reeds located in the said groove, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a banjo or similar musical instrument having a groove in its neck, of a set of organ-reeds located in the groove and the fingerboard covering the open side of the groove, substantially as specified.

L. The combination, with a banjo or similar musical instrument, of a set of organreeds for the neck of the instrument and the hoop, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a banjo or similar musical instrument having the neck and the hoop grooved, of a set of organ-reeds located in the groove in the said hoop and neck, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the hoop composed of two rings, between which a channel is formed, of a set of organ-reeds located in the said channel, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

7. In a musical instrument, the combination, with the hoop composed of two rings having a channel between their opposing sides, of reeds located in the said channel and the bracket F, nut G, washer h, and nut H for holding the rings together and the reeds in place, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOBART C. MIDDIIEBROOKE.

Witnesses:

O. A. PHILIPP, THEODORE B. GOULD. 

